The iPad 3

courtesy of apple.

For the past three years my gadget of choice has been my bright pink laptop, it is a pretty basic machine but does everything I need it to so it's good enough for me. However, many people seem to be favouring tablets over laptops these days and I can see the advantages. You can take them anywhere, they are easy to carry around and they look good. Tomorrow sees the release of one of the most highly anticipated tablets, Apple's new iPad. I have decided to review the iPad 3's new features to find out why its release has got the world so excited. 



Apple's latest tablet, the iPad 3 will be launched on Friday the 16th March 2012. Apple have officially named the tablet 'The New iPad' and it's launch has been long awaited, following weeks of speculation as to what will differentiate this iPad to previous generations
. 

It has been just under a year since the iPad 2 was released and it is hard to believe Apple are capable of launching a product that successfully improves upon its predecessor within such a short space of time. Let's take a look at the new features of the iPad 3 to discover whether the latest tablet is worthy of all the hype surrounding its release.

Retina Display.

According to Apple, the new iPad has the 'best display ever on a mobile device'. This claim is hard to dispute as the iPad 3 includes 3.1million pixels on a 9.7 inch screen, that's a million more pixels than on a HDTV! In comparison to the iPad 2, the new iPad has four times the number of pixels which has resulted in richer colours and sharper text, making everything 'look and feel' even more lifelike. 

courtesy of pocket-lint.com

4G LTE Wireless Technology.

As well as the amazing new screen display, the iPad 3 also allows it users to surf the web at super fast speeds.  As the new iPad is designed with cellular antennas that can access a larger frequency spectrum, users are able to go online almost anywhere! By supporting 4G LTE networks, the new iPad allows you to stream content, browse and download at 'blazing-fast speeds'. However, this feature may not be available to UK customers until the end of the year as 4G networks are not currently supported here. If you wish to find out more about this problem then have a read of this Daily Mail article.

courtesy of Apple.

iSight Camera.
The iSight camera has made a short journey from the iPhone 4s to the iPad 3. The camera takes 5 megapixel still photographs and enables users to record HD videos in full 1080p.The iSight camera includes several different functions, helping you to take high quality pictures quickly and easily. The camera also includes built-in face detection and a backside illumination sensor.


A5X Chip Processor.
All the new features on the iPad 3 would not be possible without the A5X chip. The A5X chip uses quad-core graphics processing, making the iPad 3 highly responsive in everything you do. Although the iPad 3 has a much better screen display and is capable of more things than the iPad 2, thanks to the A5X chip processor, users are still able to enjoy up to 10 hours of battery life. 


Applications.

Courtesy of Apple.

Without applications, all of Apples latest products are really nothing special. The creators of the iPad have also made several new applications  for the iPad 3. These apps include a new version of the virtual instrument and recording studio GarageBand and the film making app iMovie. The Apple app store has a number of applications useful for anyone thinking of pursuing a career in journalism, film making or photography. As well as allowing you to unleash your creative side, the iPad applications can also help you with your university degree as well helping you to turn something you love into a potential career path.   


Specifications.
The iPad 2 and the iPad 3 look very similar, in fact without the new retina screen display it would be hard to tell one from the other. However, when looking at the specifications of the new iPad you can see a few subtle differences between the two generations. Here are the specifications for the iPad 3.

iPad 3

Screen size: 9.7 inches

Weight: 653g

Depth: 9.4mm

Screen resolution: 2048x1536

Processor: 1Ghz Apple A5X

Storage: 16GB-64GB

Camera: 1080p, 30 frames per second

Connections: 4G LTE Wi-Fi (Verizon and AT&T), Bluetooth 4.0, Apple 30-pin connector

And here are the specifications for the iPad 2.

courtesy of Apple.

iPad 2

Screen size: 9.7 inches

Weight: 601g

Depth: 8.8mm

Screen resolution: 1024x768

Processor: 1Ghz Apple A5

Storage: 16GB-64GB

Camera: 720p, 30 frames per second

Connections: Wi-fi, 3G, Bluetooth, Apple 30-pin connector.

As you can see, apart from a few changes in specifications and features, the iPad 2 and iPad 3 appear to be very similar. With prices for the iPad 3 starting at £399, is it really worth splashing out on this latest version of the iPad? Are these new features really that amazing? Let's have a look at what people are saying.

What are people saying?

Although the new iPad may not be a massive improvement on the iPad 2, the changes that have been made have so far been positively received. The majority of reviews focus on the screen display and everyone appears to be highly impressed by the new retina display. In his review for the Telegraph online, Shane Richmond compares seeing the new screen to a short sighted person putting on glasses for the first time and seeing the world more clearly. A review on TechCrunch claims that the iPad 3 makes 'Apple's tablet domination clearer than ever'. However, some reviews come with a sense of disappointment towards this latest addition to the Apple family. A review for the Guardian online argues that if you look beyond the new retina display, the iPad 3 doesn't have much else new to offer. It has been pointed out that the voice dictation is not very good and many fans of the iPhone 4s are disappointed that the voice automated personal assistant Siri has not been included.

courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

Although the iPad 3 may not have lived up to everyone's expectations, the majority of the reviews are positive and people are queueing up outside shops all over the world to get their hands on the latest iPad. There has been a queue outside the Apple Store on Regent Street in London for the past few days as people eagerly await the arrival of the new iPad, all online orders are currently sold out so people are having to do things the old fashioned way. Selected shops across the UK will be opening at midnight so Apple lovers are able to purchase this latest must have.

Can't decide if you want to be a proud owner of a iPad 3? Check out this video comparing its features with those of the iPad 2!

I think I will be sticking with my laptop for now but what about you? Are you planning on buying an iPad 3? Do you think it is really worth upgrading from an iPad 2? Let me know in the comments section.